Ink and Needle
by Lunarelle
Summary: Fall and Rebirth short. Faith gets a tattoo, which baffles Sylvanas at first. Rated M for content. Femslash!


Footsteps echoed off the corridors, sounding eerie in the darkness. That part of the city was quiet at that hour, and the elf was able to get where she wanted to go without anybody seeing her.

As she passed under one of the torches that lit the passageway, her features were thrown into sharp contrast. A pale, perfectly shaped face with long tapering ears, each of them adorned with three small silver hoops. Honey-colored hair and translucent oval-shaped amber eyes that were constantly alert. High cheekbones, over which was dusted a minimal amount of sparkling blush.

Faith Everstone certainly wasn't aware that anybody was watching her, but had she not been so nervous about what she was about to do, she would have noticed the glowing red eyes following her every movement.

Veering to the left, she stepped into the outer ring of Undercity, and made her way into a small shop that was simply marked with a needle and ink.

The tattoo shop wasn't really a huge hit with the Forsaken. They didn't have much skin to tattoo, and if they had, it would have been difficult for them to get it inked, because it would have simply fallen apart during the procedure.

However, the living members of the Horde went there often enough that the troll who ran the shop, a female named Balenda, found that she could keep it open every day.

The shop wasn't large, but it was clean, its walls covered with various designs that she had come up with, showcasing her talents. Faith saw multiple birds in flight, animal footprints, intricate designs that must have meant something to someone, and various flowers that could have only been designed for Sin'dorei females.

"Good evening, Faith," said the troll, offering a smile. "Are ya ready to do dis?"

Faith gave a nod, handing her the design in her hand. It was a delicate arrow over which an intricate S had been superimposed. The flowing S ended in a heart, which actually became the shaft of the arrow, with the arrow feathers representing the leaves that had made up the trees of Quel'Thalas.

"That be pretty," said the troll. "Representing your love for someone, does it not?"

"I suppose the heart gives it away."

Balenda smiled, "You wanted it on your back, is that right?"

"Yes, I want the arrow down my spine, with the head between my shoulder blades."

"Very well. This will take maybe two hours, so you can relax. I hope you be not afraid of a little pain."

Faith stifled a laugh, "Trust me, I've had my fair share of pain. This will be nothing."

She took off her tunic and laid face-down on the padded table, resting her head on the pillow Balenda provided for her. She closed her eyes as the troll prepared her instruments and opened a new bottle of the blackest ink available. The smell of the ink filled Faith's nose, and before she knew it, a low pain had begun to spike down her back.

It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. At first, it wasn't anything bad, but as Balenda began working directly on her spine, Faith had to press her lips tightly together to keep herself from screaming.

It was at that point that Sylvanas walked into the tattoo shop. She did so silently, not wanting to startle Balenda, who was concentrated on the design she was etching into Faith's skin.

Slowly, Sylvanas put her hand on the back of Faith's neck before coming to rest on her shoulder. She knelt as Faith opened her eyes.

"Sylvanas," she whispered.

"Why exactly are you mutilating yourself?" she asked in a low voice.

"I've wanted to get this tattoo for a long time. I would have done so a while ago, but I never really got the chance to go to Silvermoon, if you'll recall."

"You wanted this even then?"

Faith nodded gently.

Sylvanas wiped a trail of sweat from Faith's brow, "Silly girl," she said softly. "Do you want me to stay?"

"I wanted to show it to you when it was done." Their eyes met, "But since you're already here… Hey, did you follow me?"

"Yes I did. You've been secretive, and I wanted to know why."

"A woman must have a couple of secrets to hold her lover's interest," said Faith coyly.

"I've delved into the deepest recesses of your soul, Faith. There is very little that I don't know about you."

"The more reason for me to keep a secret or two, so that I can surprise you."

Sylvanas chuckled. "You've surprised me since the day you were born, you know that."

Faith looked at her, smiling through the exquisitely burning pain, and brushed a lock of brittle hair from her forehead, "You're feeling tender this evening."

"Only tonight. I'll go back to being myself later." She didn't want to tell Faith that she had gone searching for her because she felt lonely that day. It was the day she had written the letter, the one where she was proposing. She didn't want to be alone.

For over an hour, she watched as the troll's needle dyed the flesh of Faith's back, the intricate design quite pleasing to the eye. When the tattoo was completed, however, Sylvanas had to laugh.

"Do you have any idea what your family would have said if they'd seen something like that on you?"

"No, but I can imagine what they would have said if they saw what you and I do sometimes."

Sylvanas glanced at Balenda, but she was now busy putting her materials away, and pretending not to hear them. "Mmm, I know what they would have said. And right now, I don't care." Leaning down, she caught Faith's lips in a soft kiss. "That tattoo looks unbearably sexy on you."

"You're okay with it?" asked Faith, suddenly needing to be sure.

"I wouldn't have been, usually, because I like your skin unblemished, but it's beautifully done. I think that I'll grow to love it as much as I love the rest of you. And if either of you ever repeat that, you'll suffer most unpleasantly."

Balenda snorted, "I heard nothing." She looked at Faith, "I can heal that for you now, if you be willing to wait another ten minutes."

"You can heal my tattoo? Won't that make it fade?"

"No. I used the best ink available, so it will stay sharp for several years, at least, and you will be able to perform some spells to keep it from fading later." She picked up a pot of cream, "This will heal the top layer of your skin, but you be needing to wait for the ink to set a little."

Faith nodded, and settled down to wait for a while. Since Sylvanas was still with her, she was in no hurry to leave.

"How long until her skin is normal again?" wondered Sylvanas.

"About a week. She should avoid taking baths, but you can use a sponge to clean her."

"Yes, please," said Faith. Sylvanas glared at her, but her mouth was twitching.

"And you can use this cream on her twice a day. It will… lubricate the skin."

Balenda's choice of words reduced Faith to fits of giggles as Sylvanas watched her, a look of mock disgust on her face.

A half hour later, the two of them were walking back to the Royal Quarter, their hands occasionally brushing each other. Faith knew that the moment they were alone in Sylvanas' chambers, things would heat up between them. She could feel the lust coming off the banshee queen in hot waves, and wanted nothing more than to please her right there and then.

Losing momentary control of herself, Faith pushed Sylvanas back against the wall, beginning to kiss her. Sylvanas, blindsided by the assault, took a moment to kiss her back, but pushed her hand away from the hem of her leggings, "Not here," she hissed.

"Yes, here. Now."

"Faith," she warned.

"Live a little, my Lady." Faith licked over Sylvanas' neck until she reached her ear, which she nipped gently. Sylvanas made a strangled sound in her throat.

"Live… that's… a good one…" she gasped. "Stop, I mean it, please."

Faith respected her request to stop, backing away, "Really? You don't want to?"

"Of course I want to. Just not in public."

A pout, "But I wanted to ravage you here and hear your screams bouncing off the walls."

"Fiend," she whispered. "Let's go."

Taking her hand, Sylvanas quickly led her through the corridors until they reached her room. "Lie down," she said, indicating the bed. "On your belly."

Faith did so, hearing the sound of Sylvanas undressing quickly. Seconds later, she felt her slowly pulling the robes from her body, and a shock of cold air on the sensitive skin of her back as Sylvanas gently blew on her tattoo.

"So sexy," she murmured, her hand running down Faith's side. She reached into her underwear and pressed a finger inside. Faith gave a cry. Another. Sylvanas continued. "You should have told me that it was going to be so hot to see this on your skin…"

With a broken sound, Sylvanas kissed her shoulder, her fingers working miracles inside Faith's body. Faith couldn't form any coherent sounds. She could only gasp and cry out, holding onto the pillow as she tried not to come apart in her lover's arms.

It didn't work. Faith climaxed with a scream wanting more and getting it, because Sylvanas was relentless.

"If I'd known getting a tattoo would do this to you," she said later on, "I would have done it a long time ago."

Sylvanas laughed softly, kissing her, "Feel free to get another one. I definitely love the way it makes you act."

Faith settled against her, feeling her lover's fingers skimming the skin around the inked flesh of her back. Her eyes caught the engagement ring on the bedside table and her mind slipped back to the day she'd discovered it in Sylvanas' old room. It called to her, that ring, as though it wanted nothing more than to be on her finger.

But she said nothing, instead taking Sylvanas' left hand and kissing her ring finger, which was still encircled by Faith's old silver vine ring.

"I wish you'd get a tattoo," she whispered as she was about to fall asleep.

"And where would you want me to get it?"

"Around your thigh."

"As though you need further incentives to be drawn to my thighs," she said gently. "I'd never get you out of there."

Beginning to laugh, Faith opened her eyes again, "You'd love it."

"Maybe."

"You'd love it," she repeated.

Sylvanas made a noncommittal sound, running her fingers through Faith's hair. As her lover finally slept, she gazed down at her tattoo, that beautiful work of art that rendered her, if possible, even sexier than she already had been. The arrow, the first letter of her name, and the heart.

Someday.

 **The End**


End file.
